It was a genuine pleasure to throw open our gate at 07:15 on Monday. Watching our students arrive with magic in their step and excitement mixed with nerves in their smiles, is the genuine reason I am in education. The future will belong to the curious and having walked around all the classrooms in week 1 I can assure you that curiosity is plentiful at ISB Seria.
Week 1 was all about welcoming our children to school, orientating ourselves, making friends, getting to know our teachers, settling back into good learning habits and activating prior knowledge. Maybe for parents' week 1 was about establishing new laundry routines, it certainly was in my home! In the following weeks, you can expect some class-by-class updates as a feature of this newsletter, where we will celebrate key learning and experiences across the school.
Hopefully you will all have seen me at the gate in the morning and evening. Please never hesitate to come up to me for a chat if you ever have a question or want a chat. I am an extremely proud Head and am thankful for the warm welcome I have received from the community!
As a small family focused community in Kuala Belait, Seria and our surrounding catchment I am sure that I will see you around out with school hours. I love attending, supporting and celebrating events in the community. So far, I have attended a CCF- Brunei Concert and look forward to attending the re-launch of the Mumong Community Centre as well as the Malayali Association Brunei Onam Function. I may not be able to attend all events, however, please feel free to share invites to events that celebrate our children and community's diversity. I look forward to developing my appreciation of Brunei History and Culture.
In other world news, India is on the moon! Our little dreamers of today are the world's future path-makers & change makers. We should all dream big, and then bigger.
Extra Curricular Activities (ECAs)
Shortly you will be receiving an email from our office as well as a Seesaw notification sharing all about our broad and balanced ECA provision which will start in week 3. Please do remember to sign up as quickly as possible to avoid disappointment. We will close ECA sign up on Wednesday 30th August. We intend to run all clubs, however, please do be aware that the running of clubs will always be subject to demand. Also, please note that as external ‘additional paid’ clubs require some more coordination, information regarding these will come out separately. ISB Seria needs you to enjoy ECA’s!
Toddler Group
If you know ISB you will know already that we are proud to serve our community and we love learning. Last year our toddler playgroup was a massive hit with parents. There is nothing more rewarding than watching your child engage, socialise and play in a stimulating and safe early years environment. If you have a child aged 0-3 years of age or know anyone with a child 0-3 years of age, please do come or invite them along for a play at ISB Seria. We will run every Wednesday and the first taster session is free! The official start date will be Wednesday 6th September 2023. Keep an eye out on our ECA and Social Media brochures for more information.
Reminders/Special Mentions
Y7 Parental orientation is scheduled for 25th August in school
As we find the perfect timetable at the start of the year, there may be slight changes for some year groups. Your class teacher will inform you of these on Seesaw where applicable
PE has started. Remember your kit, hat and water!
Swimming, Music, MFL and ECA’s will start in week 3
ECA sign up opens Friday 25th and closes Wednesday 30th
You can always message our teachers on Seesaw
We are of course happy to celebrate birthdays at school. We understand that children (and staff) of all ages enjoy recognising important milestones. We are also mindful to ensure all students and parents receive consistent messages and we must always prioritise school as a place of learning.
With this in mind we ask all parent to adhere to the following:
✅ We are happy for parents to send individual cupcakes to school for their child's class
✅ We are happy to distribute printed party invites (but we cannot share class lists)
❌ Please do not send whole cakes that need to be cut up and shared 🎂
❌ Please do not send any other snacks to school 🥟
❌ Please do not send any goody bags or gifts to school 🛍️
With the number of students we have in school, we must consistently apply the above to ensure fairness. We understand that each child has but one big day each year, but please consider the impact on learning when this is multiplied by the entire school population.
If you have any questions, suggestions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.
Dariush Saheli Head of Seria Campus